AJAOKUTA STEEL: MINISTER OF STEEL DEVELOPMENT ENGAGES RUSSIA’S TPE CONSORTIUM ON REVIVAL The Honourable Minister of Steel Development, Prince Shuaibu Abubakar Audu, has engaged a consortium led by the original developers of Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited (ASCL), Tyamzhpromexport (TPE), to revive the steel plant. The Honourable Minister, who met with the consortium comprising a team from Russia’s TPE/Rostec, Novostal, and Nigeria’s Proforce in his office on Thursday, 25th April 2024 in Abuja, urged them to put together a blueprint for the revival of the Steel Plant within the shortest possible time. This, he says, is in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope Agenda”, which is keen on ensuring the production of steel in the country and industrialising Nigeria through the Steel Sector before the end of his first term in office. The Honourable Minister Audu said following the meeting, he intends to visit Moscow on a formal invitation from TPE and other consortium partners to engage in further discussions to secure funding to the tune of about $2 billion, which is required for the revival of the entire steel plant. The Honourable Minister thanked the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Nigeria for facilitating the meeting with the TPE Consortium, which, if gotten right, will be a monumental success in driving Nigeria’s economy through industrialisation. Mr. Sergei Egorov, General Director of TPE and leader of the Consortium commended the Honourable Minister for the steps he has taken so far in putting together the Consortium for the resuscitation of the steel plant, which has been moribund for years. Egorov and his team of technical experts, who had earlier gone on a tour of the Steel Complex a few days earlier, noted that the plant was still in a state of possible resuscitation, indicating their interest in putting together a business case for the government. “We came with our technical experts and are quite impressed at the current state of the Ajaokuta Steel Plant. We would do a full technical audit of the plant and then take a final decision”. “We are happy to come on board the resuscitation of the steel plant for the benefit of Nigerians,” Egorov said. Mr. Valery Shaposhnikov, Deputy Head of the Russian Embassy in Abuja, Nigeria, also commended the potential partnership, which he says would be carefully reviewed for the mutual benefit of both countries. He expressed optimism in the vision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR to revive Ajaokuta, adding that this is the first time since the Shehu Shagari Administration in 1979 that a Nigerian government is showing great political will in getting the Steel Plant operational again.

MINISTRY OF STEEL DEVELOPMENT COMMITTED TO DELIVER ON MANDATE- MINISTER The Minister of Steel Development, Prince Shuaibu Abubakar Audu has assured Nigerians of the Ministry’s commitment to deliver on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Key Priority of growing the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country for sustainable economic and infrastructural greatness through the Steel Sector. The Minister gave this assurance while delivering his keynote address at the 2-Day Ministerial Management Retreat Organised by the Ministry to chart a course for achieving its Presidential Priorities held on Thursday 21st- Friday, 22nd of March, 2024 in Abuja. According to him, the reviewed Presidential 8-Key Priorities has the Steel Sector as focal point for driving the economic development of the country. “A critical evaluation of the eight (8) Point Agenda suggests the critical place of the Steel sector in the realization of these goals especially in the areas of industrialization, manufacturing and unlocking the natural resources potentials of the country”. Speaking further, Prince Audu, while giving an overview of the steel industry from conceptualization in 1958, stated that despite the ugly history of Steel Development in Nigeria in the past four decades, the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration has shown willingness to address the protracted challenges facing the industry. According to him, the creation of Ministry of Steel will give direct focus to the sector for it to become the bedrock of industrialization of the Nigeria economy. In his remarks, the Minister of State of the Ministry, His Excellency, Uba Maigari Ahmadu, stated that the Retreat will afford the Management Staff the opportunity to dissect each of the eight key priorities of the administration and explore ways to translate them into actionable strategies for the Ministry. He noted that the retreat will offer the valuable opportunity to: Deeply understand how each of the eight priorities intersects with the steel industry; Develop a comprehensive Roadmap that will align to the Ministry’s strategies with the Eight Presidential Priority areas; Identify Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to measure progress and ensure accountability; Formulate Actionable Plans with realistic timelines and resource allocation for each priority area; Foster collaboration between the Ministry, the National Assembly, and stakeholders across the industry, among others. He urged members to actively participate, share insights, and engage in constructive dialogue, open discussions, brainstorming sessions, adding that participants should use the opportunity to make a tangible difference for the steel industry and for the nation. Delivering her welcome address, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Steel Development/Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Mary A Ogbe, stated that the theme of the retreat, “Delivering on the Eight Presidential Priorities,” aligns perfectly with the Ministry’s goal of ensuring the optimal utilization of the country’s steel resources for the overall benefit of the nation and its citizens. She implores participants to actively engage in the deliberations and contribute constructively towards charting a path forward for the steel industry that will propel the nation towards a brighter and more prosperous future. Also speaking at the event, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Steel Development, Sen. Patrick Ndubueze, reiterated the importance of the Ministerial Management Retreat as it offers an avenue for stakeholders to brainstorm, propose as well as propound ways to move the sector forward and harness the benefits for economic development of the country. Earlier, in his goodwill message, Chairman, House Committee on Steel Development, Dr. Zainab Gimbal, represented by the Deputy Chairman, Hon. Yusuf Umar Datti, stated that the House Committee attaches great significance to the development of the steel sector, as it would provide about five thousand (5000) direct and indirect jobs for Nigerians when optimally developed.  

FG TO COMMENCE PRODUCTION OF MILITARY HARDWARES IN AJAOKUTA AS STEEL, DEFENCE MINISTRIES SET TO SIGN MOU The Federal Government has taken steps to begin the production of military hardwares in the Ajaokuta Steel Complex, as the Ministries of Steel Development and Defence are set to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the implementation. The Minister of Steel Development, Prince Shuaibu Abubakar Audu, and the Minister of State, Defence, His Excellency Dr. Bello Matawalle disclosed this after a meeting on Wednesday, at the Ministry of Defence, Abuja. According to Prince Audu, the collaborations between both Ministries under his leadership and the Ministers of Defence will bring to fruition the vision of the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR geared at reviving the Ajaokuta Steel Complex for steel production for several purposes, including military hardwares. The Minister of Steel Development said that the Ajaokuta Steel complex has various engineering workshops with the capacity to produce hardwares for the military under the Defence Industries Cooperation of Nigeria (DICON) Act. “Today is a day that we have all waited for under the renewed hope agenda with the coming to fruition of a partnership between both ministries, the Ministry of Steel Development and the Ministry of Defence. “There are a number of things we have agreed on, including signing an MoU so that DICON and Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited can partner to produce military hardwares such as rifles, vests, helmets, and bullets, among other things, in the Ajaokuta Steel Complex. “Ajaokuta has the facility to also accommodate a military barracks. There are over 10,000 housing units in Ajaoukuta, of which only 3,000 to 4,000 are occupied. “We will put together a quality Memorandum of Understanding that will be well implemented, and we are confident of the outcomes," Audu said. In his remarks, the Minister of State, Defence, said that all that has been agreed upon for the production of military hardwares and a Military Industrial Complex in Ajaokuta was in line with the renewed hope agenda of Mr. President. Metawalle further assured Nigerians of the soon-to-be take-off of the Ajaokuta steel complex in maximum capacity, as he encouraged local partners to come on board. Metawalle said that “today, we have agreed on so many things, including the review of the MoU signed in 2020 between DICON and the National Metallurgical Development Centre (NMDC), which would now be between both ministries (government to government). “Both Permanent Secretaries of the Ministries will come up with a draft agreement, and we will have continuous and regular meetings so that great ideas can be put together in the agreement.". The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Steel Development, Dr. Mary Ogbe, lauded both ministers for their commitments towards the revival of the Ajaokuta Steel Complex. Ogbe also assured the ministers of their support as civil servants to their political will. “If we have a common goal, we can achieve it. Nothing will make Nigerians happier than to see Ajaokuta come to light again. On a similar note, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Dr. Ibrahim Abubakar Kana described the meeting as a landmark achievement which would bring forth monumental development to the steel industry and Defence architecture of the country. Kana said that all hands would be on deck to actualize the agreement for the eventual production of military hardwares in Ajaokuta steel complex, and the establishment of a military industrial complex in Ajaokuta.